1. This is a translation of the introduction to Pir Shams that is given in the Gujarati edition of the Anthology. The title of the Gujarati version is apana trevisama pir hazarat pir shamsudin sabzawdrinun funk jivan vrattdht. The author of this piece is not stated in the Sangraha. The translation given here is mine (author of the book)

Hadrat Pir Shams al-Din was born in the town of Sabzawar. His father's name was Hadrat Pir Salah al-Din, and his mother's name was Fatimah bin Sayyid Abd al-Hadl.

Our twenty-ninth Imam, Hadrat Mawlana Imam Shah Qasim Shah, appointed Pir Shams al-Din as pir and ordered him to preach wisdom and spread the Isma'ill faith in lands outside Iran. Kissing the hand of the Imam, he left with his blessings and arrived at Badakhshan where he began his duty to preach. Revealing the Imam of the time (zamana na imam) to the people, he accepted their allegiance to Hadrat Mawlana Imam Shah Qasim Shah on his behalf and initiated them into the religion of Isma'llism.

From Badakhshan he passed through Ghazni, Cinab, and other towns, and, trekking through the Hindukush and Pamir mountain ranges, he reached Kashmir. At every town that he passed through, he kept up his duty of preaching. During his journey, he endured many troubles and afflictions. Suffering hunger and thirst, he arrived in India (Hindustan) where, in order to teach and preach, he had to learn and master many different Indian dialects.

One day, he came to a town called Anal where he found Hindus singing garbis on the occasion of Dasera. Pir Shams al-Din mixed in with them and began to sing his own garbis. These garbis were filled to the brim with the philosophy of Isma'Ilism and the revelation of the Imam of the time. Over ten days, he sang twenty-eight garbis. Their effect was so profound that the local pandits hurriedly wrote them down, and countless Hindus discarded their sacred threads (janoi) which piled up into a huge mound at the feet of Pir Shams al-Din. [Then], accepting the faith of Islam, they all gave allegiance to the Imam of the time, Imam Qasim Shah.

In the same village, there lived a pious woman by the name of Emnabai. She, too, was inspired with feelings of devotion for the pir and invited him to dine at her home. The master, Pir Shams al-Din, accepted her request and entered her house to eat. When the meal was laid before Pir Shams al-Din, however, he refused to eat the food. To test Emnabai, he said, "We do not want this cooking! We shall eat only if you cook a meal with water that has been fetched in an unbaked pot drawn up from the water-well with a rope made of raw cotton." Emnabai was faithful (imam), and she followed Pir Shams al-Din's instructions. She fetched water from the well and then cooked and fed him. Pir Shams al-Din was greatly pleased with this [proof of] devotion and gave Emnabai many blessings. Thus, Emnabai passed the test.

In the year 715 A.H., Pir Shams al-Din went to the delightful land of Kashmir to preach when a band of ruffians belonging to a tribe called Carigad captured him with ropes (made of cactus). Pir Shams al-Din, however, showed no fear toward these people and prayed before the presence of God Almighty. Immediately, a change came over them, and they all sought Pir Shams al-Din's protection. The Carigad tribe numbered some two lakh strong, and they all became followers of Pir Shams al-Din. Thereafter, other citizens of Kashmir also became followers in great numbers, among whom could also be found [some of] its kings.

In this way, Pir Shams al-Din spread the teachings of the dawah in Tibet, Kashmir, Gilan, Yarkand, Askard, Punjab, Multan, and other countries and showed the people the true path of the Isma'llI faith; to a few special individuals, he also gave guidance about the "divine secret" or the "divine essence."

However, the major portion of Pir Shams al-Din's followers were the Hindus, especially the people known as Cakkas who were famous for their heroism and splendor, and whose chiefs had reigned over Kashmir and the Punjab for about 280 years.
In those times, as a result of the king's oppressive orders to his provincial governors, Pir Shams al-Din and his Isma'Ili followers suffered endless hardships. To safeguard their lives and possessions, Pir Shams al-Din had to change his method of spreading the dawah and, instead, preached his message in disguise. The Hindus called this path the Shamsi sect (samsi mat), and its followers believed Hadrat 'Ali to be the epiphany (mazhar) of God Almighty.

Giving [religious] guidance to this region in such manner, Pir Shams al-DIn eventually reached Karachi, and from there he proceeded to Multan.

In Multan, he took up residence in an ancient mosque where a group of people had gathered to pray. He joined the group for prayer, and the imam leading the prayer began. In the middle of the prayer, Pir Shams al-Din suddenly sat down. Once the prayer was over, people rushed to the Pir demanding an explanation for his irreverent attitude. Pir Shams al-DIn gestured to them to sit down and said that, "As long as the imam who led the prayer was remembering Allah, I performed the prayer with him, but I sat down in the middle of the prayer when his attention strayed from Allah's recollection and idly wandered to other places." Everyone was astonished by this answer. They urged him, "Please stand forward as the imam who leads the prayer and make us pray." The Pir consented to their request. As the prayer commenced, lights came alive in all their hearts, and, when those in prayer bowed, the minarets of the mosque began to bow, too. Witnessing this, the people became frightened and midway through the prayer fled outside the mosque. When Pir Shams al-DIn completed his prayer and came out, the people asked, "What happened?" In reply, Pir Shams al-Din recited the following verse of a ginan:

My mind is the prayer mat and the judge;
and my body is my mosque;
Sitting in it, I perform the namaz;
indeed, [is there one] who knows my submission?

After hearing the above words, their hearts became filled with respect for Pir Shams al-Din. But when the Sufi of Multan, Baha' al-Din Zakariyya, heard about this incident, he began to fear for his fame. Thus, he ordered his staunch disciple Khan Muhammad Seyyid Hakim Shahid to make sure that Pir Shams al-Din would not be able to enter Multan by hauling in all the rafts and boats onto the city's shore. And thus it was done. When Pir Shams al-DIn arrived at the river bank and did not see any boats, he constructed one from a piece of paper. Sitting in it, he asked his companions to hold on to his fingers, and the boat began to move; but it unsteadily lurched to and fro. Seeing this, he asked: "Is there anyone who carries material possessions?" Shahzadah Muhammad presented him his mother's jewelry which she had given him for his journey. The Pir threw it into the water, and the boat began to glide forward smoothly. Baha' al-Din Zakariyya was sitting in the balcony of his palace when his eyes fell upon a boat that was halfway across the river. He promptly swore for it to stop dead in its tracks, and the boat abruptly came to a halt. Pir Shams al-Din peered in all four directions to search for the cause of this event, and then he saw Baha' al-DIn Zakariyya sitting in his balcony. Immediately, he understood the gist of the situation and cast a glance towards Baha' al-Din. When this divine glance fell upon him, two horns burst forth from Baha' al-Din Zakariyya's temple, and his head got stuck in the balcony. The boat began to move forward at full speed. Baha' al-Din was petrified by this miraculous feat and dispatched his sons Sadr al-Din and Shaykh al-Din to Pir Shams al-Din to ask for forgiveness. Pir Shams al-Din arrived at the ancient mosque before the two got there. They prostrated at his feet and pleaded for mercy. Accepting their imploring pleas, Pir Shams al-Din recited a prayer on behalf of their father, and the horns on Baha' al-Din Zakariyya's head disappeared. However, the marks left by the horns have remained imprinted upon the foreheads of his progeny. The balcony where Baha' al-Din sat still exists in Multan.

During the time that Pir Shams al-Din resided in Multan, it so happened that, one by one, the sons of its ruler began to die. The king could not control his grief. He summoned all the saints, sufis, and learned men, and said: "It is your calling that you are close to God Almighty, and thus have I showered you with many priceless favors and gifts. So today, in return I wish you to revive my son. If you are truly near God, you will be able to accomplish this task. If you fail in it, surely I will crush you up in the oil-mill."

Hearing this, they could not contain their fears, and they rushed to Pir Shams al-DIn, pleading him to rescue them from the jaw of death. Pir Shams al-DIn felt pity on them and, consenting to their request, arrived by the side of the dead prince. Gazing at the corpse, he said: "hum be-idhan allah!" which means "By the command of Allah, Rise!" But this had no effect, so the Pir said again, "hum be-idhani!" which means "Rise by my command!" Immediately the prince came alive.

The king was supremely delighted by this miracle. However, since the learned men had been forced to look down in shame, they issued an order (fatwa) charging that Pir Shams al-Din was sinful for having accomplished this feat by his own command and not by the will of God. They decreed that by religious law, the punishment for this sin was to be as follows: to strip off the Pir's skin while he was still alive. This injunction turned the people against the Pir, but, as Pir Shams al-Din was a divine personage capable of miracles, he promptly covered his body with a black blanket and, by his own hand, peeled the skin off his body and threw it before the learned men. Seeing this, everyone was stunned and began to tremble. Yet, even after this scene, since he had been branded a sinner by the fatwa, and due to the religious command against having any relations or contact with him, people did not associate with the Pir.

After a great deal of time had elapsed, Pir Shams al-Din, suffering from hunger, begged the people for some food. However, nobody paid any attention to him. A butcher took heart and gave him a piece of meat. Pir Shams al-Din began to ponder on how he would cook the meat. Taking it along with him, he went outside the city of Multan and, by his own powers, brought the sun down to cook it. The people of Multan began to sizzle under the sun's unbearable heat, and many of them scurried to the Pir, fell at his feet, and begged for forgiveness. The Pir was merciful, and, since by this time the piece of meat had been cooked, he ordered the sun to go back to its original place, which it did. The site at which the sun descended was henceforth called Suryakand. It exists even now, and each year a huge festival is celebrated there.

Pir Shams al-Din then arrived in Kashmir where there was a large sect that worshipped the sun. As long as the sun shone, they were absorbed in prayer and other religious ceremonies, but, once the sun had set, they were not afraid of committing sinful deeds. For, these people believed that, when it was dark, the sun was asleep and could not see their sins, and, therefore, sins committed in darkness were not to be counted as sins. The Pir enlightened these deluded people and showed them the true path of the Isma'llI faith. They came to be known as the Shamsis.

At present, the Shamsis in the Punjab, who are very great in number, [are descendants of those who] were originally enlightened by Pir Shams al-Din, and [now] they openly practice the Isma'llI faith. In order to spread the Isma'ili faith, the master, Pir Shams al-Din, endured all kinds of obstacles. In India, wherever he went to give wisdom, he composed ginans and garbis in beautiful language to disclose the true religion, thus winning many followers.

Pir Shams al-Din was married to Bibi Hafizah Jamal, the daughter of his uncle, Sayyid Jalal al-Dm. She bore him two sons: Hadrat Naslr al-Din and Hadrat Sayyid Ahmad Zindapir. When Pir Shams al-Din departed this temporal world, the Imam of the time entrusted the title and position of pir upon his son, Nasir al-Din, who is our twenty-fourth pir. His name is cited in the genealogy of the pirs as Pir Nasir al-Din.

During his service of Hadrat Mawlana Imam Shah Qasim Shah, Pir Shams al-Din lived for a long time in the town called Tabriz. This is why he is often known as Pir Shams al-Din Tabriz!. Moreover, as he was born in the town Sabzawar, he is also known as Pir Shams al-Din Sabzawarl. The people of Egypt and Syria know him as Shams Maghribi. After he had lived in Kashmir, he was also called Shams al-Din Iraqi. In the dua, he is addressed as Pir Shams Chot.

Here, it is extremely important to clarify that the great Sufi saint Hadrat Shams Tabriz who was Jalal al-Din Ruml's spiritual guide, and who lived during the time of our twenty-eighth Imam, Hadrat Mawlana Imam Shah Shams al-Din Muhammad, was not the same person who was our twenty-third pir, Pir Shams al-Din Sabzawarl, who was also called Pir Shams Tabrizi. These were two different individuals. Pir Shams al-Din died in Multan in the year 757 A.H.

Even today, we still sing the ginans and garbis composed by Pir Shams al-Din with great devotional fervor. In addition to their insightful verses and their lofty philosophy of the Isma'llI faith, these ginans and garbis are saturated with the complete and clear-cut teachings on the obedience to and recognition of the Imam of the time. After reading this short life-history of Pir Shams al-Din and studying his ginans, it is essential that the teachings expressed in them be put into practice in life so that our faith remains strong and firm. [We pray] that we should be able to gain a true understanding of the Isma'llI faith; that we should have no hesitation in obeying the orders of the Imam of the time; and that the living Imam, Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah Datar, should perpetually keep alive in each one of us feelings of loyalty. May Mawla bless every Isma'lli with true guidance. Ameen. Salawat.

After a great deal of time had elapsed, Pir Shams al-Din, suffering from hunger, begged the people for some food. However, nobody paid any attention to him. A butcher took heart and gave him a piece of meat. Pir Shams al-Din began to ponder on how he would cook the meat. Taking it along with him, he went outside the city of Multan and, by his own powers, brought the sun down to cook it. The people of Multan began to sizzle under the sun's unbearable heat, and many of them scurried to the Pir, fell at his feet, and begged for forgiveness. The Pir was merciful, and, since by this time the piece of meat had been cooked, he ordered the sun to go back to its original place, which it did. The site at which the sun descended was henceforth called Suryakand. It exists even now, and each year a huge festival is celebrated there.

i dunno about others but i do believe in the above story and it is said in holy quran :

12:4 Behold! Joseph said to his father: "O my father! I did see[in dream] eleven stars and the SUN AND the moon: I saw them prostrate themselves to me!"

12:6 For, [as thou hast been shown in thy dream,] even thus will thy Sustainer elect thee, and will impart unto thee some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings, and will bestow the full measure of His blessings upon thee and upon the House of Jacob -even as, aforetime, He bestowed it in full measure upon thy forefathers Abraham and Isaac. Verily, thy Sustainer is all-knowing, wise!"

12:7 Indeed, in [the story of] Joseph and his brothers there are messages for all who search [after truth].

I am posting this paragraph from the thread you mentioned. It is from Tazim Kassim's book.

"After a great deal of time had elapsed, Pir Shams al-Din, suffering from hunger, begged the people for some food. However, nobody paid any attention to him. A butcher took heart and gave him a piece of meat. Pir Shams al-Din began to ponder on how he would cook the meat. Taking it along with him, he went outside the city of Multan and, by his own powers, brought the sun down to cook it. The people of Multan began to sizzle under the sun's unbearable heat, and many of them scurried to the Pir, fell at his feet, and begged for forgiveness. The Pir was merciful, and, since by this time the piece of meat had been cooked, he ordered the sun to go back to its original place, which it did. The site at which the sun descended was henceforth called Suryakand. It exists even now, and each year a huge festival is celebrated there".

Karim you are a highly educated person. Trained at IIS and an engineer knowing science well. My take;
If sun incline down ward one degree what will happen on earth or if sun move one degree upward what will happen to earth?

Everything in religion is not explainable by science. There is inherent mystery. Not all miracles performed in esoteric traditions can be explained in scientific terms. MSMS in his Memoirs (pg 312) states:

"Mr, Chaplin is interested in certain psychical and non-physical phenomena, such as telepathy and its various derivatives. He quoted to me Einstein's demand that ten scientists should witness at the same time, and under prescisely similar conditions, every case of this kind submitted, before he would consider these manifestations proven. He and I agreed that the imposition of this kind of test would make all psychical research and experiment impossible, for these phenomena-and the laws under which they occur-are simply not at the beck and call of human beings".

I am posting this paragraph from the thread you mentioned. It is from Tazim Kassim's book.

"After a great deal of time had elapsed, Pir Shams al-Din, suffering from hunger, begged the people for some food. However, nobody paid any attention to him. A butcher took heart and gave him a piece of meat. Pir Shams al-Din began to ponder on how he would cook the meat. Taking it along with him, he went outside the city of Multan and, by his own powers, brought the sun down to cook it. The people of Multan began to sizzle under the sun's unbearable heat, and many of them scurried to the Pir, fell at his feet, and begged for forgiveness. The Pir was merciful, and, since by this time the piece of meat had been cooked, he ordered the sun to go back to its original place, which it did. The site at which the sun descended was henceforth called Suryakand. It exists even now, and each year a huge festival is celebrated there".

Karim you are a highly educated person. Trained at IIS and an engineer knowing science well. My take;
If sun incline down ward one degree what will happen on earth or if sun move one degree upward what will happen to earth?

Everything in religion is not explainable by science. There is inherent mystery. Not all miracles performed in esoteric traditions can be explained in scientific terms. MSMS in his Memoirs (pg 312) states:

"Mr, Chaplin is interested in certain psychical and non-physical phenomena, such as telepathy and its various derivatives. He quoted to me Einstein's demand that ten scientists should witness at the same time, and under prescisely similar conditions, every case of this kind submitted, before he would consider these manifestations proven. He and I agreed that the imposition of this kind of test would make all psychical research and experiment impossible, for these phenomena-and the laws under which they occur-are simply not at the beck and call of human beings".

For more on this subject you may want to go to:

Anecdotes --> Role of Miracles in Esoteric Traditions.

You are not specific, how will you explain and answer youth to satisfy them. Just some confused statements won't solve the problem. What is scientific justification for that event.

You are not specific, how will you explain and answer youth to satisfy them. Just some confused statements won't solve the problem. What is scientific justification for that event.

As I said not all phenomena can be explained through the existing scientific laws. Science itself is evolving. The Newtonion laws don't apply to the quantum world of subatomic particles. The powers available to the Pir or any God-realized person are not comprehensible to the general public.

You haven't gone to the thread I suggested. For more you may want to go to the following threads and make your comments there.

You are not specific, how will you explain and answer youth to satisfy them. Just some confused statements won't solve the problem. What is scientific justification for that event.

As I said not all phenomena can be explained through the existing scientific laws. Science itself is evolving. The Newtonion laws don't apply to the quantum world of subatomic particles. The powers available to the Pir or any God-realized person are not comprehensible to the general public.

You haven't gone to the thread I suggested. For more you may want to go to the following threads and make your comments there.

Doctrines --> can humans BE God?
Doctrines --> Defy physics?

A question:
Why a dead body mostly swim on water where as a live person drown. Is soul so heavy? Any religious explanation.